Tan Cang Newport Seafood - Santa Ana

I've really missed those classic Chinatown restaurants with their lively lobster tanks, and Tan Cang is a sight for sore eyes. 

They serve that decadent dish known as the lobster noodle, their Newport Special Lobster. The "small" starts at 3 pounds, and it is pure pleasure to dig those wok-fried lobster bits out of steaming hot shells. Each morsel is coated with a most spectacular sauce. The flavor has a bit of fish, a lot of umami, and plenty of salt and pepper. They even coat and sear the inside-the-head bits, including sizable chunks of grainy red roe. Don't be squeamish, eat all the bites. The bed of noodles have a hand-pulled look, but I do wish they'd been cooked a little less. They could be a bit more al dente, especially with the seeping sauce. 

Beef Loc Lac is another signature dish here, and I love these cubes of tender steak. Each chunk has a perfect crust, and the inside is so juicy. Get some rice to catch the drippings. 

They were out of pea sprouts, but the Ong Choi makes a nice vegetable as well. Green and fresh, and sauteed just so, these are an essential accompaniment for their heavy, banquet-style mains. 

Everyone's going sleek and modern these days, but this place still has that banquet-hall vibe where you celebrate special occasions by spinning lazy susans. It's not fancy and it's not new, but the food is old-school good, and I would never say no to a lobster here. 

Jang Su Jang - Torrance

The usual Torrance story: another Asian restaurant in another nondescript strip mall. Jang Su Jang is newer on the scene, a replacement and rebranding of classic Da Maat, and this one is equally good or arguably better. 

The seafood pancake, the Haemul Pajeon, is a crispy-crust, green onion-inlaid, chunky calamari and crab concoction that is the best one I've had. It may be the only one I've ever truly liked as well. This particular pancake is just the right thickness to hold its shape but thin enough to be crispy and cooked through with no mush in the middle. Plus you can actually taste the seafood in here, which is surprisingly not true of most seafood pancakes I've had. 

It's impossible to complain about free food, and their Banchan are especially strong. Love the little pieces of scallion pancake, and the marinated squid is great. Gray cubes of aspic look unappetizing, but they dissolve into a cold and savory treat.  

Even better still, they'll refill them for free, no questions asked. 

Beef Bulgogi, what's not to like? Thin slices of marinated sliced ribeye sizzle sweetly on the skillet.

Oh, I LOVE cold noodles. That chewy, slightly gelatinous buckwheat texture, the refreshingly sweet and icy burn from the soup and sauce. Their Buckwheat Bibim Naengmyun gets the job done. 

Great food, definitely worth more than one visit. Torrance isn't known for their Korean fare, but this one is legitimately good.  

Cream Pan - Lomita

If you haven't heard about the Strawberry Croissant, I feel sorry for you. 

This iconic Fountain Valley pastry caused a stir when it came to the South Bay. Those three tangy sweet slices of strawberries sandwiched in a small croissant filled with dollops of pudding-like cream made quite the splash. The pastry is flaky, layers airy and light, and there's a contrast of crispy shell and cream that makes it the best balanced sweet you'll ever eat. Great with your morning coffee but just as good with an afternoon tea. 

They make other items as well, traditional croissants that are equally airy and light, scones that are doughy with seemingly less sugar, and a Boston cream donut has that same signature cream filling inside.

You'll never leave this bakery unsatisfied - it seems there are no bad decisions to make. The strawberry croissant is still the standout so don't leave without at least one of those. 

Yangban - Los Angeles

There was a lot of hype about Yangban, and every dish lives up. 

Photogenic starters include golden wedges of Hokkaido Scallop Toast, which taste as good as they look. The tenderest little scallops with a little tomato tang top an impossibly crusty toast, drizzled with creamy ribbons of golden sauce. 

Less pretty are the brown-ball Acorn Beignets, but they're no less beautiful in taste. To make a fried ball of acorn flower so memorable is no small feat, and these nutty delights do deliver. Caramelized onion and prosciutto pair perfectly, adding savory-sweet with a base of gooey gruyere. 

The Green Tea Leaf Salad has colorful sections of lettuce, cabbage, buchu tea, tomato, and edamame, to name a few. Mixes well and finishes light with this refreshing nokcha-lemon vinaigrette. 

Salad makes a perfect pairing with the heavier Yangban Wings. A thick coat of double-fried breading is sweet, with the most exquisite crunch, accompanied by a fiery but approachable kimchi hot sauce to dip. 

Did you even have Korean food if you didn't have the Banchan? This array includes the familiar with a twist and some fantastic creations as well. Kimchi comes with a gentle kick of habanero, cucumber is grilled and has a hit of lemon. Steamed Broccoli looks so straightforward, but between the uplift of yuzu and the chicken skin furikake, these florets' flavors will floor you. Honey Glazed Carrots are gooey-sweet with whipped yogurt and sugary dates. The Brokaw Avocado and Shinko Pear is a combination of softness and crunch, sweetness and earth. 

I love a good short rib, but I've only had one or two that were truly memorable. The Grilled King's Cut Short Rib is number three. The impossibly tender texture, may be the best of this cut I've had to date, and even the potato puree is impressive. Gorgeous grilled mushrooms add their own umami.

The Stone Pot Rice may look less dazzling, but the flavors are formidable. A comfort-carb of koshihikari rice comes with a crispy crust that only a stone pot can give. Bits of pork belly and all kinds of kimchi make a flavorful bowl, a perfect end to an a powerful meal. 

I think Korean food is having a fine-dining heyday, and I love it. Yangban delivers this colorful cuisine with so much depth and creativity, but what impresses me most is their flawless execution of some extremely difficult concepts. Food at this level is so not to be taken for granted, and an incredible meal like this will stick with me for a good long while. 

Okrumong - Torrance

The cutest cafe, the most amazing menu. 

There is no better dessert than a bowl of Black Sesame Snow Bowl on a sweaty summer day. Finely shaved ice topped with sesame and condensed milk makes a cool, lightly sweet bite that makes you want to take another. It's a sizeable bowl, best for sharing, but it's light enough to eat on your own. 

Taiyaki are made to order, and they come out piping hot. The shell makes a crispy crunch, and the mochi-esque interior holds it all together with a chewy texture that is divine. There are no bad flavors; cheese has some saltiness, nutella is sweet and rich, custard is firmy creamy but light, and red bean is a classic. 

I've always loved Asian desserts, but these literally complete my life. Forget the fantastic bakeries, Okrumong is officially my favorite dessert in the South Bay.

Thach Che Hien Khanh - Westminster

"OMG Nicole, I had the most amazing desserts today!...Could you please tell me what I ate?"

Very little English is spoken in this cash-only pick-up shop, and I got a whole lot of amazing for a little bit of pointing. 

I did start with what I know. Banh Da Lon is a favorite of mine, a tapioca flour base flavored with pandan, dyed a gratifying green. Theirs is more gelatinous in texture, a good chew to contrast the pasty mung bean filling. 

Sticky Rice is another classic, though it's my first time having the Vietnamese iteration. Beautiful colors and a subtle sweetness and a gooey yet firm, grain texture. 

The Banh Tam is new, and it's hard to resist these colorful wide noodles. Grated cassava with tapioca starch forms an almost-mochi which is crusted with coconut and sesame seeds. 

A sweet pandan drink washes it all down, and I love the contrast of the grainy texture with pandan jelly cubes. 

They have a truly impressive spread, and I've barely scratched the surface. This is one place I will start coming back to after every Westminster meal.

Tacos Los Guichos - Los Angeles - Taco Tour #12

Chasing taco trucks has been a new obsession, and today's journey is one a little less well known. 

Say hello to Tacos Los Guichos, a Florence food truck that sits in the corner of an auto shop parking lot. No convenient places to park, a lot of trouble to get to, easy to miss. My kind of place. 

These are street tacos, exactly what you'd expect from a truck. Warm tortillas, generously loaded, everything hot and assembled on order. Their Pastor is on the drier, more crispy side, finely chopped rather than cross-sectioned off a spit. 

Birria is a newer offering, juicy shredded beef with a consommé that is a bit salty. Not bad, but they can't beat Tacos el Goloso. 

Lengua is lengua, those pillowy little cubes. 

This particular truck came highly recommended by a friend, and what's not to like? Good tacos, affordably priced, grab them to go for a quick lunch or nighttime nosh. That said, there's a reason they're not a legend. Good stuff but just another good taco truck, a good player that can’t quite stand out in a very deep field. 

Country Style Jamaican Restaurant - Inglewood

Don't be fooled by the no-frills appearance, this complex may be one of Inglewood's best. Queen of Sheba has proven herself a formidable contender on the Ethiopian stage, and Country Style is a no-tables take-out counter that makes island aliments with attitude. 

The women at the counter are energetic and smiling, and business is good as they assemble to-go bags non-stop at Monday lunch. Styrofoam takeout boxes are loaded with a generous entree on a bed of hearty rice and beans. Dark brown gravy seeps from a silky Oxtail that slides right off the bone, a flavor both dense and full. Size small is more than enough for a full meal as you get a side of veggies and sweet plantains to boot. A small puff of fried festival bread is a lighter, airier hush-puppy-johnny-cake morsel and arguably the best bite in the box. 

I suspect there are no bad choices here, and the Jerk Chicken is pretty great. You get half a chicken with a spice rub that doesn't mess around. It is perky, it is peppery, and it leaves a sharp sear that makes you burn for more. 

A "side" of Curry Goat is an entire entree's worth, and it seems all their meats are fall-off-the-bone tender. Each bite is a soft, tendinous texture in a rich and savory curry. 

Everything you order is almost enough for multiple meals. Even a long slice of Sweet Potato Pudding will fill you up in just a few bites. This sweet, nutmeg-y wedge is like a marzipan pie, with a smooth but grainy texture and a fragrant, nutty finish.  

Great food, savor-bomb stews with meat so tender it must have cooked for days. Affordable containers of take-away comfort, every bite as heavenly as the tropical paradise they came from. 

Jin Hai Pie House - Monterey Park

A lovely SGV mom-and-pop, serving northern Chinese classics, specializing in anything with a wrapper. 

You're here for the pie so be sure to focus your order. It gets pretty hot in here on a summer day so we started with a couple of colder apps. 

Cold Cucumber with Garlic is refreshing and light.

Cold Tofu & Thousand Year Egg can be quite filling, and I forgot how much I like those gelatinous eggs with the tarry yolk. Neither will impress, but both are fine if you want them. 

Pork & Cabbage Dumplings are well-made, much like what you'd have at your auntie's dinner party.

The Shrimp & Pork Wonton Soup may be a sleeper hit. The wonton wrappers are just great, the filling is tender, and there's plenty of flavor in the soup, especially from the seaweed and cilantro. 

The House Special Pie is the main event. Each order comes with four filling circles, perfect for sharing with a bigger group. The crust is thicker than a dumpling but still crispy and delightfully thin relative to size. These are stuffed with ground pork so juicy there's even a spoonful of soup to slurp when you break the seal. The steam that rises when you bite into your pie will sate your senses, and each pocket even embeds an entire shrimp for more sweetness. 

There are plenty of fillings if you're not a fan of pork. Order to your tastes - every pie is equally juicy and absolutely amazing. The Lamb & Green Onion Pie has a gamier, meatier finish, but the scallion tempers the mince to make it a lot less heavy. 

Skip the other stuff, go straight to the pie, though there are some pretty fantastic-looking potstickers I won't be skipping next time. My bucket list for the SGV is extensive, and I'm on a mission to try them all before I double back, but I do think I'd come here again for the comfort food sooner than that. 

3Catea - San Gabriel

It seems like boba bars are the bodegas of the SGV, and each one wants to outdo the last. I'm seeing menus full of crazy concoctions and inconceivable combos of flavors, and it's an overwhelming but welcome quest to catch 'em all. 

They're all great in their own way, but 3Catea may be where I stop because I cannot even consider anything better than the handmade, DRINKABLE mochi they make here. Because yes, at 3Catea you can sip strands of stringy, chewy rice-cake mochi through a boba straw, relishing all that texture while you swallow sweet blends of Matcha or Mango and chew on some boba if you choose to add it. 

Fresh Oolong Tea with cheese foam is also fantastic, and it seems no drink here lacks the "wow factor". 

In the SGV, the boba competition is keen, and I don't think you'll leave anywhere truly unsatisfied. But 3Catea is the only place I know that serves mochi in a cup, so 3Catea is where I will stay. 

Presotea - Torrance

I like it. 

A refreshing choice for tea. Brewed teas are good, fruit teas are fun, and smoothies are sweet. I've had a few blends, with mango, lychee, etc, and I think 30% sugar is the way to go unless you prefer your drinks super-super sweet. Plenty of toppings to customize, and they even make bubble waffles that look like the best snack ever. 

I've enjoyed what I've tried so far, will have to come back for the waffles.